Messages and Memories
by Hayley Cometra
Summary: First episode of the “Hayley Cometra” series. Chiro and Antauri sense a tremor in the Power Primate, and the Super Robot receives a distress call from someone from the Robot Monkeys’ past. Chapter Seven is up! Finally done!
1. Morning in Shuggazoom

Episode Title: "Messages and Memories"

Disclaimer: I don't own SRMTHFG or any of its characters, just my character and this plot.

Note: This takes place shortly after "Secret of the Sixth Monkey" but before "Pit of Doom". Read, hopefully enjoy, and review.

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****Chapter One: Morning in Shuggazoom**

Clear pastels of pink and yellow slowly crept over the eastern horizon. Not a cloud swept in the skies as the southern winds brought a reassuring warmth. Few people were seen on the streets, but that would change as the sun would soon welcome the hubbub of Shuggazoom City.

But inside the Super Robot, he shifted to and fro in his bed. Sweat poured from his head to his pillow, but that wasn't enough to wake him. His heavy breathing was like a storm of nervousness, but that wasn't enough to wake him.

If Chiro could have seen his reflection in that moment, he would have seen the sudden pleading and serious look etched on his face, the light of his heart glowing in his eyes as his energy of the Power Primate awakened within him.

With no control over his mouth or voice, he said with a soft echo, "Even in the deepest darkness, there's a light within you that never goes out. It will always guide you."

That was what had finally woken him up. He suddenly sat up, shaking the disorientation from his head, then looked around in confusion. He had felt the danger within a fragment of energy from the Power Primate, but it wasn't his fragment. And now that danger was gone, just as fleeting as the dream itself was. There was no threat in his bedroom.

"Huh?" he asked, confused. "What…what was that about?"

Silence was the only answer he received.

With a great sigh, he slowly came out of bed and dressed himself. He never got tired of the blue jeans, white shirt, green tie, and red jacket that he always wore. No matter how many days in a row he would wear them, they were always clean and ready for him the next morning. He still remembered the times when this was just an ordinary set of garments. But attached to the front of the left shoulder was the Power Primate Rod, the device given to him in order to change into the mighty leader of the Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce. And he did just that.

Within minutes, Chiro stepped out of the orange elevator and into the Command Center. The main monitor was off, but several smaller monitors were left on, displaying citywide scans and checking for any evil disturbances. There were none, but Chiro wasn't satisfied with this. He began typing on the keyboard, turning on the main monitor.

"_Activating long range scanners_," the computer's feminine voice announced.

"You're up a little early this morning, Chiro," a familiar voice said.

Because he had thought he was alone, the greeting easily startled him. But he looked back with a small smile and saw someone floating toward him with legs crossed and eyes closed.

In many ways, Antauri was the Robot Monkey that Chiro understood the least. He always felt that he was at a disadvantage whenever he was with Antauri, for the Black Monkey could sense his thoughts and emotions, yet he couldn't do the same to him. Antauri seemed emotionless, rarely giving either a smile or a tear. He was the Monkey who was always a little reclusive and eccentric.

Still, being alone with Antauri had its finer points as well. Just as the Black Monkey was the one he understood the least, he was also the one he trusted the most.

"You know I don't like it when you do that," Chiro said wryly.

"I am sorry, Chiro."

The leader sighed and looked at the main monitor. There were still no disturbances to be seen, but he just couldn't shake off the words that he said in his dream. What did they mean? Were they a message to him? If so, from whom? And why?

"Antauri?" he asked, feeling sheepish and uncertain, wondering if his question was going to confuse the wiser monkey. "Did you…did you notice anything strange happening a few minutes ago?"

Once again, silence flooded Chiro's ears. It was very unnerving to the boy, and he was beginning to lose himself in the silence when Antauri finally answered, "Indeed, I did. I was in the midst of deep meditation when the Power Primate within me awoke for no apparent reason."

Surprised, Chiro turned to look at him. "You felt it, too? Then…I didn't just imagine it?"

All Antauri did was shake his head.

"Do you know what's going on, Antauri?"

"No, but the Power Primate is at work somewhere. I can sense it."

He then paused and opened his eyes at last, turning his head to look straight into Chiro's. "We should intensify our training."

Knowing what this could mean, Chiro nodded grimly.

---------

Amongst the stars and asteroids, comets made their beautiful dances across the cosmos. The first time she looked at them, they inspired her with awe and wonder. But there was no time for such comforts at the moment, not when her life was at stake.

How long had she been trapped in that endless torment of darkness, doubt, and despair? Days? Years? Centuries? There was no way for her to know. Not until she reached her destination.

With any luck, they still remembered her. How often she had dreamed that they were waiting for her, anxious to see her again. She already knew in her mind which one she would hug first.

Light-years behind her loomed the ominous spaceship of rock dreaded to be called the Citadel of Bone. It was following her, she knew, but she didn't look for fear of falling back into the grasp of its power. She had barely escaped from that grasp, and she dared not to start going back in. She only looked ahead, always ahead.

Her energies were running out.

In the distance, she could barely see a faint ball of red and white that she instinctively knew was a planet. She strained her eyes, focusing on the details. It had changed, but she recognized it.

"Finally…" she whispered.

* * *

The fact that Antauri's Power Primate energy unexpectedly awoke in him suggests that the other Robot Monkeys have been affected, too. But just who is this space traveler trying to escape Skeleton King? More to come in Chapter Two: Damsel in Distress. 


	2. Damsel in Distress

Disclaimer: I don't own SRMTHFG or any of its characters, just my character and this plot.

Note: I'm planning to include replies to the reviews given to me in response to each chapter. Since I already have a few for the first chapter, I thought I might go ahead and put them in here.

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Chapter Two: Damsel in Distress**

Laser after laser after missile barely missed Chiro as he landed back on his feet. A mechanical arm full of claws swept in his direction, but he heard its approach and rolled away before it could rake his back. Turning in the other direction, he looked up in time to see a larger missile aimed directly at him!

Not losing his focus, he stood tall and used a Lightning Kick on the missile's nose, deflecting it, but not easily. It flew straight for a laser cannon, destroying them both before the laser could open fire.

Finally, all was quiet. Chiro breathed heavily, exhausted but victorious.

He was soon standing with the others in the Command Center, watching a replay of the last few moments of training.

"You were ten seconds slower that time, Chiro," Antauri calmly pointed out.

"Ease up, Antauri," Otto interceded. "We've all had it hard today, what with our weird dreams and all, and ya can't expect us to clear a harder level first time we try."

"It will be even more difficult when Skeleton King launches his next attack, Otto," the Black Monkey grimly replied.

Disappointed, Chiro's only answer was a sigh.

"Don't feel bad," Nova encouraged him.

"Indeed," Gibson agreed. "By my calculations, it won't take an extensive period of time for you to accumulate those ten seconds."

Sprx chuckled. "Hey, kid, even just now, you've entered your time to the Five Fastest and kicked mine off."

Everyone looked at a smaller monitor as it displayed the results of the training level. Five time scores flashed on the screen with corresponding faces. Otto's was in fifth place, at least two minutes behind Nova's fourth. Antauri's third position was ahead of her score by a fraction of a second, and Chiro's recently-added time settled in second place.

But the pole position was ahead of Chiro's by more than a minute, and there was no face with it.

This was something Chiro noticed immediately. If this were a game the team was playing, he would have been at least a little jealous. But in this case, for some odd reason, he felt more curious than jealous. "Hey, who has first place?" he asked.

Upon hearing that question, Otto's face began to sadden. "Oh…" he faintly whined.

But before anyone could answer, the alarm suddenly blared! Everyone's attention turned to the main monitor as it displayed a planetary scan of Shuggazoom. A large blip just crossing a high orbit approached the planet rapidly!

"Something's entering the planet's atmosphere!" Sprx said.

"Nova, prepare to fire," Antauri instructed.

She was already typing feverishly on the keyboard, but everyone noticed quickly that frustration was growing on her face. "I can't lock onto it! It's moving too fast!"

"It's gonna crash beyond the outskirts in 15 seconds!" Otto yelled, beginning to panic.

"The sonic boom from such a crash will generate an intense shockwave!" Gibson realized.

"Monkey Team, brace for impact!" Chiro shouted.

All six of them scrambled to their command chairs, each of them strapping themselves in as they would during their Super Robot battles. Gibson typed a command into his personal computer, switching the main monitor to see the horizon just as the object zoomed into view.

When the object disappeared over the horizon, citizens screamed and ran for cover. A few moments later, all of Shuggazoom City and the Super Robot began to quake in reaction to the sonic boom! The only reason why the Super Robot kept from falling head over heels was the fact that the anchors were firmly attached to the Robot's feet!

But, much to everyone's surprise, the earthquake subsided quickly. Sprx shook his head with a cartoonish "aye-yi-yi" sound. The Hyperforce looked as one at the monitor.

"Damage report, now!" Chiro commanded.

Sprx examined his readouts carefully, confused. "Weird. I'm not reading any kind of destruction at all out there!"

"That's impossible!" Nova exclaimed. "Maybe the scanners are jammed."

"No, they're workin' just fine," Otto replied after seeing his own damage report.

"Then let's make use of them," Antauri calmly suggested. "Gibson, full analysis on the crash object."

All six of them left their command chairs and approached the main monitor. As Gibson typed on the keyboard, the monitor displayed in slow motion the last few seconds recorded before the crash. As what seemed to be a light blue ball came to the center of the monitor, he paused the screen and zoomed in on it. Scientific data of all kinds appeared beside it.

"It appears to be a small celestial body consisting of a central mass encased in a stardust envelope," the Blue Monkey revealed.

"Looks more like a comet to me," Otto stated.

Annoyed, Gibson regarded the Green Monkey. "Is that not what I just said?"

"Wait a sec," Nova commented, pointing to the object. "There's some kind of shadow inside it!"

Looking at a dark spot that she was pointing at, everyone watched as Gibson resumed typing. The image enhanced even more, revealing an indistinct silhouette.

"It appears you were right, Nova," Antauri commented. He then closed his eyes and focused, using his Power Primate energy to look beyond what could be seen. "And I am sensing a presence coming from that direction."

"Presence?" Sprx echoed, surprised. "You mean there's someone out there? It was some kind of ship?"

Again, no answers were provided as the computer interrupted, this time with a beep. Everyone listened as the speakers began to project static.

Gibson was again at it instantly, trying to work with the static. "We are receiving a long-range transmission. It's audio only, and it's a little garbled from the shockwave, but—"

"Do what you can to clear it up, Gibson," Chiro interrupted.

For several seconds, the Blue Monkey worked hard with the transmission. The static seemed to continue without end, but finally, they started to hear a female voice coming from the speakers:

"…_perforce. I repeat, this is Hayley Cometra contacting the Monkey Team Hyperforce. Do you read me, team?_"

All six of them reacted in surprise, but Chiro's surprise was different from the others'. He didn't recognize the name or the voice, but apparently the others did.

He realized that the moment Otto suddenly shoved between him and Gibson in his pure excitement, sending both of them to the floor!

"Hayley!" Otto screamed, chattering wildly as he came to the keyboard.

"Otto!" Gibson grunted, offended.

But the Green Monkey didn't hear him. He snatched the microphone from the keyboard and activated it. "Hayley! Is it really you? You're alive! Are you all right? Ooh, if they scratched one centimeter on ya, I'm gonna—!"

"_Otto?_" Hayley's voice interrupted happily. "_Is that you? Otto! You mean, you guys_…_haven't forgotten me?_"

"Of course not, silly!" Otto laughed. "How could anyone be stupid enough to forget you?"

"_Then_…_he did lie to me! Oh, Otto, I never should have doubted you guys. I will never do that again!_"

This made Otto understandably confused. "Uh...what are ya talkin' about?"

"_We'd better save the explanations for later. Are the others with you?_"

With a push of a button, Gibson answered, "Affirmative, Hayley. We are all present. Well, except for—"

"_Gibson? Mr. Hal Gibson? Wow, I never thought I'd be glad to hear your voice again!_"

Chiro looked from one monkey to another, wondering to himself to whom they were speaking. But everyone was too happy to notice his confusion, so he silently decided to stay calm. He knew that he would soon have a turn to speak with this friend of theirs.

"How in Shuggazoom were you able to escape?" Nova asked into the microphone.

Giggling, Hayley replied, "_It's a long and_…_rather ugly story, Nova. And it certainly wasn't easy._"

"Where are you presently located?" Antauri asked.

This time, the voice spoke with dread, obviously not a tone typically used by the bearer of this voice. "_Much as I'd like to, Antauri, I'm afraid I can't tell you that. I'm on the run even as I speak. My power supply is almost gone, I'm sure Skeleton King's on my tail, and Mandarin may be overhearing this communication._"

"Mandarin?" Gibson repeated, surprised. "Then, you are aware that he is no longer—?"

"_Gibson, don't!_" her voice suddenly snapped harshly, something that surprised them all. The few moments of dead air that followed told everyone that she was trying to calm herself down. When she spoke again, her voice was now filled with worry and guilt: "_I'm sorry, Gibson. I fear I may not the same as I was because of Skeleton King._"

"Aw, Skeleton King, Schmeleton King," Otto replied dismissively, his tone laced with a hint of his natural lightheartedness. "You handled him quite nicely the first time, Hayley, remember?"

The dark tone quickly vanished as a sweet giggle came through the speakers. "_Like it was yesterday. Oh, Otto, how my positrons simply tingle with joy!_"

By this time, Chiro didn't care if this was the best opportunity to speak or not. After hearing that their enemy was after someone that the Robot Monkeys apparently cared deeply about, he knew that he had to step in to find her.

"Hayley, my name is Chiro, leader of the Hyperforce."

The slight pause in the communication gave them the feeling that she was confused. "_Chiro? Hmm, never heard that name before, but that voice_…" She suddenly gasped. "_You must be the boy I saw!_"

"What do you mean, 'saw'?" Sprx asked. "You've never met the kid."

"_I know that, Sprx, but_… _Remind me to explain that later, too. Sorry for interrupting, Chiro; what were you going to say?_"

"Is there any kind of information you can give us, something that may help us find you before Skeleton King does?"

"_Hmm, I can tell you the crash site coordinates. I'll be taking cover by the time you reach it, but it'll at least give you a starting point. I landed at coordinates seven-three-eight by nine-f—_" She suddenly cut herself off, making everyone nervous. She then gave a great gasp and screamed, "_Formless!_"

For a few seconds, all the Hyperforce could do was listen as she made fighting shouts and landing blows. Some grunts confirmed the Formless, but a scream of pain from Hayley was the last thing they heard before the transmission became static again.

"Hayley!" Otto shouted into the microphone. "Are you all right? Hayley!"

No reply.

"Monkeys, Mobilize!" Chiro commanded.

* * *

Uh oh, sounds like she's in big trouble. The Hyperforcebetter hurry if they hope to save her. But how do the Robot Monkeys know her? Find out more in Chapter Three: The Adoption. 

_In response to Chapter One's reviews_…

**4Evermonkeyfan**: Got your PM. Your story is very interesting. I know moving is quite hard; I just got settled in my new place myself. I hope to hear more from your story soon! And thanks for reviewing.

**Fairy Whisperings**: Your encouragement is much appreciated. Thanks! I hope my story will meet your expectations. This chapter and upcoming ones will pick up the pace that my first chapter lacked.

**shamaru1**: Wow, not even 24 hours and I'm already on your favorite list? That's very flattering. I mean, I knew that I had a talent for writing, but this? Wow! And thanks for the review.


	3. The Adoption

Disclaimer: I don't own SRMTHFG or any of its characters, just my character and this plot.

Note: Beginning with this chapter, italics are flashbacks and bolded words are words that would echo in the show. Other chapters and future stories that have these particular statements will be formatted in that way.

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Chapter Three: The Adoption**

"I wish we brought the Super Robot," Otto whined as he continued to follow the others and carry Chiro, since he still didn't have his own jetpack. "We'd find her in half the time."

"It cannot be helped, Otto," Antauri reminded him. "If Skeleton King is following her, we require stealth."

"So…who is this Hayley Cometra?" Chiro finally asked. "And how come you never told me about her?"

"We didn't want to get your hopes up, kid," Sprx answered. "We weren't even sure if we would ever see her again."

"Indeed," Gibson agreed. "Skeleton King does not often take prisoners."

"Prisoner?" Chiro echoed, surprised.

"You see, Chiro, Hayley's story began when Mandarin was still our leader…" Antauri started to explain.

---------

_In the deep tranquility of a jungle, several native monkeys screeched wildly as their rather rough struggle continued near what seemed to be an abandoned building. Many bites and scratches were exchanged, but even after the fight lasted for a good while, only one or two drops of blood were shed._

_These were younglings, only playing. That was the way of things in every family._

_One monkey in particular chattered as if laughing._

_Darkness suddenly fell on the jungle, interrupting their game. Knowing that it was not yet evening, the native monkeys huddled together and chattered nervously. As the darkness itself took a more physical form, the monkeys squealed at the sight of Formless emerging and approaching them and surrounding them!_

_Thus the corruption of the Savage Lands began._

_The Formless were destroying everything in their path, corrupting the jungle endlessly. The native monkeys fled in different directions, and some of the Formless began pursuing each of them._

_The one monkey in particular ran out of the jungle. It didn't know where it was going, but it knew that the Formless were after it! The chase went on for quite a while, crossing a desert and entering a meadow, before the Formless finally managed to corner their prey._

_The monkey whimpered fearfully. It had seen death of many kinds in the jungle, but this was a different and strange one._

_The Formless raised their hands, ready to utterly destroy it!_

_Six colorful figures not much bigger than the monkey suddenly leapt in between them, facing the Formless!_

"_Hyperforce, **go**!" Mandarin commanded._

"_**Whirling Destructo Saws**!"_

"_**Lady Tomahawk**!"_

"_**Blue Thunder**!"_

"_**Magna Ball Blazer**!"_

"_**Claw Disruptor**!"_

"_**Monkey Mind Scream**!"_

_One by one, each member of the original Monkey Team – Otto, Nova, Gibson, Sprx, Antauri, and Mandarin - destroyed one or two of the Formless until the threat was over. With the battle won, they looked at the uninjured native monkey. It stared back at them, chattering and sniffing._

_Then, more curious than frightened, it approached the closest Robot Monkey, who happened to be Otto, and began climbing up on him._

"_Hey, that tickles!" Otto laughed in reaction._

_Sprx chuckled at the sight. "Looks like someone found a new admirer," he grinned._

"_Aw, how cute is that," Nova cooed._

"_Can we keep him, Mandarin?" Otto asked._

"_Otto, it belongs in the wild," Antauri calmly reminded him. "Our duty is not to interfere with the natives of Shuggazoom but merely to protect them. And that includes the wildlife."_

"_Please, Mandarin?" Otto begged. "Can we keep him? I'll take full responsibility for him! Uh_…_it is a him, isn't it?"_

_Gibson quickly and carefully examined the native monkey on Otto's shoulders. He then made a small smile. "No, Otto, its gender is definitely female."_

"_Please?" Otto again asked, this time sounding quite pitiful._

_The native monkey instinctively looked into the pure white pupils of Mandarin's eyes._

_The leader sighed. "Very well, Otto, since you are willing to assume full responsibility."_

---------

_The next several days were hard on all of them. It proved difficult for Otto to keep up with a pet while still fulfilling his duties. And part of the trouble was the fact that the wild monkey caused havoc everywhere! But he was always there to stand up for the defenseless monkey._

_Eventually, the patience the others expressed was paid off. With time, the native monkey became tame. It learned which tones of voice meant praise or punishment, and it learned to mind everyone, but it still kept its playful and inquisitive personality._

_One day, the monkey watched the others in the training room as they finished clearing a level. Mandarin had already shut down the equipment while the others left the room._

_Curious, the native monkey slowly approached the control panel and stared at the multi-colored buttons. Its cute coos caught the attention of the others, and they all looked through a window to see what was going on._

"_No, don't touch that!" Sprx exclaimed with a screech._

_Startled, the monkey accidentally pressed the red button, reactivating the equipment!_

_The doors to the training room closed, locking the Robot Monkeys out! Unable to help, they were forced to watch worriedly through the window._

_The frightened monkey whimpered as a laser locked onto it and opened fire! It was barely able to evade the blast, but it landed on another control panel, this one with a particular switch._

"_No!" Nova squealed. "Not that!"_

_Of course, unable to hear her, the native monkey pulling on that switch, desperately trying to climb away from the laser. At once, a fragment of energy flowed into the monkey's body!_

"_No!" Mandarin yelled._

_The monkey made a very shrill screech as the energy rendered it nearly unconscious!_

_It fell on the floor and didn't move._

_Traumatized, Otto was on the verge of tears. "This is my fault. I should have watched her more closely."_

"_Wait, Otto," Antauri interrupted. "Something is happening."_

_The Robot Monkeys looked in time to see the native monkey slowly stumbling onto its feet. It was surprise enough that it was still alive, but imagine their shock as it suddenly leapt into the air, evading another laser, and climbed up one of the poles in the room!_

"_Impossible!" gasped Mandarin._

"_Huh?" a shocked Gibson asked, at a loss for any other words._

_In their amazement, the Robot Monkeys continued to watch as the native monkey used familiar jumps and twirls, luring the laser to cut the other weapons aimed at her! The pattern was repeated for every claw, every laser, every saw, any weapon that came within reach!_

_In a matter of minutes, all that was left was the first laser! The monkey then jumped at it and twirled on the gun barrel, breaking it and making it explode!_

_The monkey landed easily on its feet, completely unharmed._

_Otto's lower jaw dropped in complete surprise._

"_Such sharp reflexes," Mandarin commented, mostly to himself. "Such keen cunning. Such agile speed."_

"_But how is this possible?" Gibson asked. "This defies any logical conclusion!"_

"_How did she do all that?" Nova questioned further._

"_She must have learned them from watching us while in training," Sprx suggested. He then chuckled smoothly, placing a hand behind his head. "Well, ya know what they say: imitation is the highest form of flattery."_

_But Antauri said nothing. Instead, he worked to open the nearest door, even though it meant actually tearing a hole through it!_

_When it saw the others entering, the native monkey whimpered and crouched behind Otto as he came in, almost certain that it was about to receive another lecture. Instead, all six of them smiled and began coddling her._

"_Excellent!" Mandarin praised. "It appears we have adopted a baby sister without realizing it!"_

"_Good girl!" Nova said sweetly._

"_Wonderful job!" added Sprx._

"_Magnificent!" Gibson commended._

"_Very impressive," Antauri stated._

"_Didn't know ya had it in ya!" Otto said. "But don't you ever scare me like that again, young lady!"_

---------

"And, in a way, Mandarin was right," Otto added. "She was like a sister to us." Then, his voice trailed off with a hint of sadness as he continued, "Even though she tried to correct us by saying stepsister. I wonder why she kept saying that…"

That made Chiro pause. Stepsister? Why didn't she count herself as a sister?

Knowing that neither would be getting their answers anytime soon, Chiro wanted the story to continue. "Then what happened?"

"A crisis," Antauri replied. "Dozens of Skeleton King's Formless rampaged Shuggazoom City. It was a long and intense battle. And from the start, we knew that it seemed futile. Then Skeleton King himself arrived. He captured us, but before he was able to leave with us, our little friend arrived and leapt straight at his face."

"I told her to stay behind," Otto interjected, as if sounding guilty about it.

"I wish you could have seen her on that night, Chiro," Nova said. "Biting and scratching and yelling for all its worth!"

"To this day, we don't know if she actually hurt that old bag of bones or just annoyed him," Sprx added, chuckling. "She never does look before she leaps. But at least distracting him allowed us to get free."

"To make a long story short," Gibson began.

Chiro made a grin, wondering to himself if Gibson ever made a long story short. But he said nothing, thankful that no one else noticed, and allowed the scientist to continue.

"We managed to force Skeleton King into a tactical retreat. The battle was won, the city was saved, but our native friend was injured so severely that there was only one method of saving her: cybernetic reconstruction."

The leader's eyes widened in surprise.

"Yes, Chiro," Antauri said, answering the unasked question. "She had imprinted herself upon us, especially after what had happened in the training room. After risking her life to save ours, to let her die would have been wrong. There was no reason not to do it."

"But I thought no one was able to do that," Chiro stated. "Not since…whoever it was that created you guys did it."

"True, whoever did create us used very sophisticated techniques," replied Gibson. "However, we were aware of what we're made of, so we simply performed a very detailed analysis on our bodies and duplicated the procedure for her."

"It wasn't easy as Gibson makes it sound," Antauri pointed out. "We all worked hard for days, losing sleep and nourishment, to keep her alive…but none of us so much as Otto."

Immediately, the leader looked up at the Green Monkey.

"Well, I couldn't just let her go," Otto commented. "After all, I had taken responsibility for her. She'd been such a blessing to me…to all of us."

But Chiro grinned. "Sounds to me like she's more than just your admirer."

Embarrassed, Otto almost dropped Chiro in surprise and stuttered, "Well, I wouldn't go that far...but I do admit that I got a soft spot for her. I gave Hayley her name. What a fine Robot Monkey she was!"

"You know, kid, we didn't realize how well we made her until later when we started her in training," Sprx added. "When she first tried the first three levels, she cleared them all in record time! She has the top score you saw."

"Unfortunately, she never had the chance to test herself in battle," Nova said quietly.

"Thanks to Skeleton King?" Chiro realized.

"Indeed," Antauri said grimly. "He returned, captured her, and kept us from following. We were forced to watch helplessly as they disappeared. That was the last time we ever saw her."

"We tried for weeks to find her, but we didn't even know where to start looking," Gibson explained. "Until now."

"Look, over there!" Otto suddenly shouted, looking to one side.

* * *

So Hayley is the Monkeys' baby sister…or is it really stepsister? More coming soon in Chapter Four: Family Feuds. 

_In response to Chapter Two's reviews_…

**4Evermonkeyfan** and **love-writer**: Thanks for reviewing. I'm glad that people are liking this since this is the first time I've considered publishing my written works.


	4. Family Feuds

Disclaimer: I don't own SRMTHFG or any of its characters, just my character and this plot.

Sorry that this chapter is so short (four pages in MS Word). But the good news, by sheer coincidence, I have the whole weekend off from work, so I should have a lot of time to work on the next chapter.

Please read and review! Enjoy!

**

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****Chapter Four: Family Feuds**

They all landed around what appeared to be a small, circular crater. It was only about as long as Chiro was tall, and if he were to step into it, the ground level would have met his waist. But it was still hot and smoking from being recently made, so Chiro kept a safer distance than the others.

"This is definitely where she crashed; this wasn't here before," Sprx said as the Monkeys performed their examinations. "But there's no debris, no sign of any ship she could have used."

"That's because she never used a ship, Sprx," Gibson answered, not once looking up from his scanner. "The circumference, diameter, and depth of the indentation are too perfect. According to my calculations, this impact could have been produced only by her Invisibubble."

"Invisibubble?" Chiro asked, confused.

"A defensive move she came up with herself," the Blue Monkey explained. "If she maneuvers her weapons swiftly enough, she can distort the properties of the air around her, creating an invisible bubble of protection. It simplifies counterattacking and escaping, but it consumes a substantial amount of her energy."

"That's probably why she couldn't come to us first," Otto commented listlessly. "Right?"

"She said she was gonna take cover somewhere," Nova reminded them, looking around. "But there's nowhere to hide here."

"Which means…" Antauri began, pointing toward a mountain range. "She must have taken refuge among those mountains."

Just as he finished, however, the ground trembled beneath them! The Hyperforce watched as Formless appeared, flanking a familiar but dreaded figure floating before them!

"Mandarin…" Antauri softly growled.

"Thanks for the tip, Antauri," Mandarin chuckled evilly. Then, he began floating away, giving only one set of instructions for the Formless: "Take them out." With that, he left the area.

"Looks like this is more of a race than a rescue mission," Sprx said, revealing his magnets and destroying the first Formless in his path.

Nova jumped on top of one and punched at another, defeating them both effortlessly. "We don't have time for this!"

"No doubt Mandarin's intention," Gibson replied before firing at two Formless at the same time.

Otto and Antauri worked back-to-back, both focusing on their long-range enemies. Neither of them needed to say anything to express how much it meant to them that they finish this battle quickly and reach Hayley first.

It was Chiro who finished off the last Formless, using it as whip to defeat any that were left before tossing it into a rock on one side.

He then looked toward the mountains. "Good work, team, but Mandarin just bought himself a huge head start. We'll have to split up. Antauri, take Gibson and Sprx with you and take to the air while Otto and Nova cover the ground with me. If you see Hayley first, contact us. Hyperforce, **go**!"

---------

Birds sang their sweet song as their flight seemed more like a dance in the wind. A brook ran below the cave entrance and made its way into a gentle waterfall, landing in a pond along the ravine floor. The sun was not too hot and not too bright.

If this were any other day, she probably would have enjoyed the peaceful scenery surrounding her, perhaps even joining the birds in their melody. But again, this was not the time for such comforts. She kept her focus intently. If she slipped for even a moment, she feared that all she had endured would be for nothing.

She needed to protect herself at all costs, even if it was to the disadvantage of her searching friends.

Time was running out.

"Not much energy left…" she whispered tiredly.

---------

"Otto, what is it?" Nova asked as she and Chiro stopped, looking at Otto standing to one side near the edge of a cliff.

"I think we're gettin' close," Otto whispered. "But somethin' doesn't feel right…"

"Hmm…" Chiro pondered, slowly approaching the edge.

He didn't realize the danger until it was too late; a familiar paw full of claws snatched on Chiro's ankle and pulled, taking him over with a scream! He barely had the time to hold onto the edge with just his fingertips!

"Whoa!" Chiro exclaimed, already feeling his fingers slipping on the smooth rock.

Nova was in Mandarin's face in moments...or at least, her fist was. The moment the evil Monkey's hand loosened in a startled reaction, Otto pulled Chiro back to the safety on top. Both had barely caught their breath when an injured Nova was sent flying in their direction! Chiro ducked out of the way, but Otto stood dazed as the Yellow Monkey smacked into him! The two crashed into a boulder, and Otto was nearly knocked out!

Growling in righteous fury, Chiro launched a kick in Mandarin's direction, but the cunning Orange Monkey easily moved away and shoved the boy aside, sending Chiro falling over the cliff!

"Chiro!" Otto screamed, barely coming back to his senses.

"No!" yelled Nova, starting to go after him.

Mandarin floated in the way, blocking her. The fight between the three Monkeys resumed, leaving Chiro to fall to certain death.

As he fell through the seemingly endless abyss of hopelessness, only one question shot through Chiro's mind.

Why don't I have a jetpack?

No one, not even Chiro, saw what appeared to be a bright blue rope wrapping around his ankle! No one saw that it pulled taut an instant later, ending the fall abruptly and sending Chiro to the cliffside! No one saw that the quick movement forced Chiro to hit his head on the rocks and that he was lost to unconsciousness!

All Mandarin was focused on were Otto and Nova, and all they were focused on was him.

"Enough of this!" Otto declared in his anger.

"Indeed," Mandarin agreed evilly. "You both are distracting me from my task." And with that, he knocked them both back with a telekinetic blow and floated down the cliff.

Nova and Otto ran to the edge of the cliff and hesitated. They could barely see Mandarin disappearing from sight, but that was all they could see. Otto activated his jetpack and began after the evil monkey, but Nova grabbed his ankle and pulled him back down!

"This is still a rescue mission," she sternly reminded him. "And now it's a double rescue mission." She then activated her communicator. "Antauri, Otto and I have trouble. We've engaged Mandarin again, still no sign of Hayley, and now we've lost Chiro."

"_Stay where you are, both of you,_" the second-in-command instructed. "_We will intercept with you shortly._"

* * *

This doesn't look good at all. First Mandarin is as eager to find Hayley as the Hyperforce, and now Chiro is missing. But many of the puzzle pieces will be put together in Chapter Five: The Light of Heart. 

_In response to Chapter Three's reviews_…

**Crystal Persian**: Thank you for the compliment and the review. That means a lot to me!

**love-writer**: I can see you're truly enjoying this. Sometimes when I look into reviews, either for my own story or when submitting to others', some of them are no different to me than closed captions to a deaf person. But such is not the case for you. I can almost sense your excitement. ;-) Thanks a lot!

**4Evermonkeyfan**: I'm glad to notice that you're following up on every chapter so far. That tells me that you're keeping a close eye on this. Thanks!


	5. The Light of Heart

Disclaimer: I don't own SRMTHFG or any of its characters, just my character and this plot.

Warning: Just a minor warning, there's some dark mental conflict involved in this chapter due to a certain villain. And sorry that this chapter is so long compared to my others, especially during the flashbacks. Anyway, read and review, please.

* * *

**Chapter Five: The Light of Heart**

He felt control of his eyelids slowly returning to him, but there wasn't much to see. He could hear with his ears again, but there wasn't much to hear. His numb body started to feel, but what he felt was a sharp sting in his head, a tight knot on his forehead, and a rocky surface against his back. He revived in the shadows and slowly started to sit up, feeling lightheaded.

"Ow, my head…" Chiro groaned.

"Oh, good, you're awake," a familiar voice said. "I was starting to get worried."

Surprised, Chiro looked to one side. In the faint light that came through the cave entrance, he could only see a familiar silhouette at first. But as his eyes adjusted, the figure stepped deeper into the cave, closer towards him. It was a Robot Monkey, he knew, but he stared in confusion.

At first, by the voice and the eyes, he thought it was Nova. But no, the voice sounded younger and gentler than Nova.

Then, by the color, he thought it was Gibson. But no, the blue was softer and brighter than Gibson, more of a turquoise.

But as he came to his senses, Chiro realized which one this one was.

"You must be Chiro," she greeted.

With a slight nod, he answered, "Then you must be Hayley Cometra."

"Just Hayley will do fine," she replied, giggling. "You know what's funny? We've never met, but it doesn't feel strange to know who you are. So…I'm not sure whether to say, 'Pleased to meet you' or 'Good to see you again'. It kinda feels a little like both."

Chiro smiled and couldn't help but make a small chuckle. "I know what you mean. I've heard so much about you, I feel the same way. That is funny."

He started to pick himself up, but he didn't yet have enough strength in his arms and legs, and he slid back down immediately with a painful grunt! Hayley gasped in concern and rushed to his side.

"Oh, I'm dizzy…" he moaned.

"Don't move," she gently cautioned him, helping him to lie down. "You took a nasty blow to the head. When I grabbed you, I didn't mean for you to get hurt. You've lost a good amount of blood. I had to use your scarf as a makeshift bandage to get the bleeding under control."

Chiro looked as far up his head as he could without straining his eyes and discovered that the tight knot he felt was actually his scarf wrapped around his head. The sharp sting was probably from the wound trying to close.

"Oh, I wish I had one of my medical kits with me to clean and dress it properly," she continued, her tone laced with despair. "I hope it's not infected. You'll be experiencing dizzy spells that could play tricks with your balance. You need to rest."

He grunted as he slowly turned his head toward her. "But, the others…they need to know…"

"I used up most of my power just to get here; I can't go for help. And now I don't want to, since I can't leave you alone like this. For now, our only option is to wait."

Much as Chiro didn't want to admit it, he knew that she was right. He didn't even have the strength to reach his Power Primate Rod.

He then grinned. "I can just imagine the look on Otto's face when he sees you again."

She smiled in reply, and for a moment, he felt that she would have blushed if she could have. "Did they ever tell you how they gave me my name?" she asked.

He shook his head.

"It was after I got over the initial shock of becoming a Robot Monkey. When Nova mentioned that I needed a name, Gibson immediately said…"

Drawing in Chiro's full attention, she nearly made him laugh as she stepped to one side, struck one of Gibson's intelligent poses, and imitated his British accent. "A mystery as multifaceted as the cosmos yet as unpretentious as a single star. Your name shall be Cometra."

Smiling, she continued, "And I answered, 'I like it, but can I have a simple name to go with it?' So Otto said…"

She moved to the other side and mimicked his low but cheerful voice, "Hey, what about Hayley?"

She then returned to the place where she stood first when she imitated Gibson's exasperation, "Cometra Hayley? Otto, PLEASE!"

Finally looking at Chiro again, she finished, "And I said, 'Indeed. I like it better the other way around.' And we all laughed…except for Gibz."

"Gibz?" Chiro echoed, barely believing what he just heard.

"That's what I like to call him just to annoy him. He hated that nickname."

"I can see why. You got that from Sprx, didn't you?"

She nodded, then gave another of her giggles, a little more mischievous than before but every bit as light and merry.

That sweet laugh melted away all feelings of formality, and as Chiro joined in it, he realized what she meant. Now they both felt as if they had known each other their whole lives. This was truly through the bond of the Power Primate, something he shared with each of the other Robot Monkeys.

Then, everything went quiet. In this particular moment, silence made Chiro nervous. He didn't want to lose himself to unconsciousness again, not yet. He wanted to get to know his new friend more.

He thought of only one way, but he felt bad in having to take that option.

"Tell me the rest of your story, please."

He could tell by the way she blinked that he had just hurt her, but she kept from losing her focus. "Well…" she started, a little disheartened. "Where did they leave off?

"They told me all they could. They left off when Skeleton King carried you away."

Her eyes seemed to become distant, like one of Antauri's blank stares, but deeper. Much deeper. And sadder.

He quickly realized that she was reliving the memories, terrible and terrifying memories. He was almost ready to stop her when her soft, trembling voice resumed the story:

"I had never before known such fear and despair than when I saw everything dear to me disappear from sight. I can still remember the desperation in Otto's voice as he cried out to me. They all cried out to me.

"But that fear and despair was much easier to face when I decided to make a promise. You see, the power of a promise never dies, even if I do. With these words I promised, 'Someday, Hyperforce, I will return to Shuggazoom. I will always protect you and never betray you.' From that moment on, I resisted Skeleton King.

"All he wanted was to learn about me. Apparently, for some strange reason, the fact that I was created was a puzzle to him. But even after intense interrogations and torturous experiments, any information he got from me was against the strongest of my willpower. He tried everything to turn my heart away from the others and to submit to darkness, but I never even yielded. And for the several hours of night, he left me alone in my loneliness. Day after day, it was the same. But every night, I repeated my promise. I never gave up.

"I knew in my heart that, at any moment, I would see Otto's saws burst through those accursed walls and cut through my plasma bonds. Then he would wipe away every tear from my cheeks, no matter how many poured through my eyes, and take me in his arms, and…"

She suddenly hesitated and looked down at Chiro. His suggesting grin told her that he noticed her voice had changed, even though it was still positive. In fact, it was a little too positive. Hayley cleared her throat and finished her sentence, much calmer than in her previous tone, "And they would take me home."

Chiro nodded, trying to convince her that he believed her pretense.

Hayley's voice trembled again as she continued, "But, one day, those aspirations fell apart when the door to my cell opened and I received…an unexpected guest."

It was only at this point that she began to cry.

---------

_The faint light that entered didn't change the gloom of the cell. The sound of the latch opening and closing was less than welcome to her ears. She still felt the pain from the last experiment clinging to her tired limbs._

_Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't have even bothered to look up._

_But somehow, this was not like before. She felt a different energy standing before her. It wasn't Skeleton King, but it felt familiar. So she slowly raised her head and looked ahead._

_She gasped in delight but spoke quietly. "Mandarin? Is that you? What happened to your armor? Oh, who cares about that right now? Am I glad to see you! I knew you and the others would come rescue me. Hurry, Skeleton King may be here soon."_

_He merely floated in front of her, eyes closed. She flinched when she noticed this. There was always a certain impassiveness in his presence before, except for when he realized that she was able to hold the Power Primate within her frail body of flesh and blood. But now, there was something else in that presence._

_What was it? Grief? Rage? Contempt? Or a mix of all three?_

"_Mandarin?" she asked again, this time with much uncertainty._

"_Hello, Hayley Cometra," he finally said, his tone grim and dark._

"_You didn't come to rescue me_…_"_

"_I didn't expect you to survive this long."_

"_There's something different about you."_

"_You are full of surprises."_

_At that moment, she discovered the truth. But she couldn't make herself believe it. "You_…_you didn't_…_"_

_Only then did he open his eyes and look straight at her, and she realized that he had indeed changed. She remembered him with eye pupils of pure white; now they were an evil red._

"_How could you?" she gasped. "I believed in you. I trusted you."_

"_Can you not still do those things, my baby sister?" He began caressing his cold claws on her face._

_She suddenly leaned away from him and slapped his hand with her cheek! If the plasma bonds on her wrists and ankles weren't already tied to the wall, she would have lunged at him and used every ounce of strength to tear him apart! "You abandoned the power of light," she spat at him. "You disowned the others. Don't you dare call me your baby sister again!"_

_A slight laugh was his only answer, and she had the distinct feeling that enraging her was his momentary goal. He left and closed the door behind him. She was alone again, this time even lonelier than before. And she could faintly hear Mandarin say, apparently to Skeleton King, "Evil One, teach me and I will learn."_

(Author's Note: That statement comes from the end of "Secret of the Sixth Monkey". I don't own that quote.)

_She shuddered, still scarcely able to make herself believe it. Mandarin, the leader who approved of Otto adopting her, was now a pawn on Skeleton King's chessboard. A flood of questions drowned out her mind. If Mandarin was here, what became of the others? When did this happen? How? Why? WHY?_

---------

_In the days that followed, Hayley became adjusted to the routine visit Mandarin would pay her during the hours when she used to be alone. This became something she dreaded more and more. She once thought being alone and lonely was bad, but she now preferred it to Mandarin's visits._

_What made it worse was that he took into the habit of taunting her. He had tried even harder than Skeleton King to win her over to the power of darkness._

_The good part was that she was usually too tired from her ordeals with Skeleton King to argue with Mandarin for very long and instead simply ignored him._

_Except once._

_It happened the last time he spoke to her, the last time his eyes locked with hers._

_It had started the same way: Mandarin entered her cell and left the door open, staring at her even though she didn't return the gaze, and asked her, "Why do you continue to resist Skeleton King when he can give you so much more than what you have?"_

_Her sigh was not one of fatigue but exasperation. "Every night, you ask me the same question. And every night, I give you the same answer. I grow tired of this feedback loop you're apparently stuck in, and I will no longer humor you by answering."_

"_Have our brothers made you so blind by trivialities that you can't see ultimate power?" he continued, knowing that she'll respond to this one._

"_Stop referring to them as your brothers," she snarled. "They are no longer family to you any more than I am. Besides, and for the last time, Nova's a girl."_

_Mandarin opened his mouth for the next question, but she interrupted with a deep glare. "Don't waste your breath," she hissed, and there was strength in her voice for the first time in a long while. "You were there, Mandarin. I was so precious to all of you that you decided to give me back my life by making me more than what I was."_

_For a moment, he seemed a bit taken aback by the strength in her voice, the threat in her glare. That was a small victory for her, and it was the only one she ever received as a prisoner, but it felt good._

_But the moment of triumph was just that, a moment, and Mandarin resumed the position in his mind as the ultimately superior one._

"_Oh, you poor, naïve monkey," he answered. "The Power Primate bonded with you. That was what made you more than what you were. Rebuilding you as a Robot Monkey changed nothing."_

"_Hey, I don't ever recall asking you to make me what I am now," she told him. "I was content with being an ordinary monkey. You all did it of your own accord…under YOUR leadership. And for that matter, I don't recall asking any of you to adopt me, either. YOU were the one who, despite the others' disapproval, agreed with Otto to take me in. You did that out of kindness."_

"_I did that out of pity. And if you were so precious to the others, would they not have saved you by now?"_

_Hayley suddenly hesitated. She considered this. How long had she been held prisoner here? Mandarin was able to reach her, but only by accepting darkness in his heart. Why hadn't the others come for her?_

"_Yes," he hissed, already sensing her doubts. "You're beginning to see the truth. They have not saved you because they haven't even tried. They would rather slave as Shuggazoom's guardians than even attempt to be your heroes."_

_The very thought disgusted her to the core, not because she believed it was true but because he dared to suggest it. "Look, just because you're older than the rest of us doesn't mean that you're always right," she weakly countered, slowly trying to reassure herself._

_Mandarin wasn't even fazed, probably because she didn't sound convincing. "When I found my destiny, I sought to fulfill it. They could have joined me and shared in it, but instead they sent me into exile. That was how I found you."_

"_Then you should have left me alone. Don't play the wounded soldier to me, Mandarin. You don't do it very well."_

"_Who's playing, Hayley? If anyone was playing tricks on you, it was the Hyperforce. You know that you were more trouble than you were worth to them. Admit it."_

_Again, Hayley's inner strength faltered. Yes, the memories she carried as a native monkey were still clear in her head. She had caused an explosion in Gibson's laboratory. She had made a mess on Sprx's magnets after he had finished polishing them. She had disturbed one of Antauri's deepest and most important meditations. She even once tried to play with Nova by pulling on her tail and caused her to lose her temper!_

_Memories like these were what kept Hayley from losing her mind to the darkness. They were bad memories, true, but born during good times._

"_But_…_" she began softly. "In spite of all that, you all were patient with me. And you all saved my life. And no one worked harder to do that than Otto. You yourself told me that."_

"_Your loyalty is admirable but misplaced," he remarked. "Do you think we saved you for your sake? You should know as well as we did that if anything happened to you, the guilt would be carried in our hearts for eternity. And Otto, well, he had taken full responsibility for you. Who else would carry greater guilt upon your death? We did it to wash our hands clean. And now that you are no longer a burden to the others, they have forgotten you."_

"_No_…_" she whispered, struggling to stay sane._

"_Yes. They never cared about you. I know how you feel, Hayley. Betrayed, just like me."_

_Losing her body to fatigue and her mind to defeat, all Hayley could do was hang her head and stare at the floor of evil rock._

"_But I can help you," Mandarin continued. "Skeleton King is ready at this moment to destroy you for your misplaced loyalty. But if you will admit to me that I have been your only true friend—"_

_The flame of anger was kindled within her, and that gave her just enough strength to look at him again. "Friend?" she interrupted. "You insulted me! You humiliated me!"_

"_A true friend would not have withheld honesty from you to spare your feelings. If you will swear friendship to me, I will petition to Skeleton King on your behalf. He will spare you, and under my tutelage, you will become more powerful than you ever imagined. Just say that I, Mandarin, am your only true friend."_

_Losing her strength a second time, Hayley moaned as she broke eye contact with him again._

"_Is it really so hard to do, my dear Hayley?"_

_The younger Monkey gritted her teeth and closed her eyes tight, struggling within. She didn't know what to say. She knew in her head that his words certainly rang true, but she also knew in her heart that he was trying to manipulate her._

_Her torturous times of doubt and despair kept her head and her heart from agreeing with each other._

"_Mandarin?"_

"_Yes?"_

"_Mandarin_…_y-you_…_you are_…_you a-are_…_"_

"_Yes, say it."_

_She was losing herself. Her vision seemed to fade like a dark mist rolling in. She could feel the power of darkness clutching at her heart. Her fragment of the Power Primate was in terrible danger. Her tired body and defeated mind were at the point of giving in._

_She didn't know how, but she found enough focus to look deep into her heart. And as she did, she found a light! The dark haze clouding her vision suddenly shattered into a clear brightness! The light didn't just shine on her; she was wrapped in it! She flinched at first, but the glow in that light was one of reassurance, not condemnation. And she saw not one but six figures standing in front of her, all of them with serious but pleading faces._

_The first five she recognized immediately: those to whom she considered herself as their stepsister—Otto, Antauri, Mr. Hal Gibson, Nova, and SPRX-77. She wanted to cry out to them and beg them to help her, but she found that she had no control over her mouth or voice._

_The sixth figure was not familiar to her at all. She had seen humans before, but not this particular one. The white uniform was almost invisible in the light, but the gray boots and orange gloves and scarf gave her the impression that she was looking at a boy who was just barely a teenager. But she didn't pay any heed to the garments._

_Simply by looking into his piercing blue eyes, she knew that she was looking at someone profound and powerful, someone who would fulfill some great destiny._

_Someone whom she could trust with her life._

_Again, she tried to speak, wanting to ask the human what his name was. But she hadn't won back her mouth or voice._

_But all six spoke to her, one by one._

"_Hayley!" Otto cried out desperately._

"_Don't be fooled," Antauri gravely instructed._

"_Mandarin's influence is very powerful_…_" Gibson told her._

"_As is the influence of darkness," added Nova._

"_But ya gotta remember something_…_" Sprx said._

_Then the boy spoke: "Even in the deepest darkness, there's a light within you that never goes out. It will always guide you."_

_A third time, Hayley tried to talk to them, this time to thank them. But before she realized it, the light vanished and the Hyperforce with it. She was back in her cell inside the Citadel of Bone. Her experience lasted barely a moment, for she saw Mandarin still standing in front of her, apparently oblivious to it all._

"_Yes, say it," he hissed excitedly._

_She blinked, confused. What was that light? Merely a hallucination caused by her fatigue? Or a vision given to her to help her? She wondered if it was real, and if it was, why she didn't sense it before._

_But she didn't hold her doubts for long. She knew almost immediately that her heart felt different: stronger and wiser. She could feel that strength restoring her body, that wisdom healing her mind. And she found her confidence again._

"_Mandarin_…_" she said softly. "You are_…_absolutely and completely_…_out of your mind!"_

_She squeezed her eyes tight and gave a great scream as she suddenly felt a new power swelling within her! Neither of them really knew where that ray of light came from, but she realized that it was powerful enough to cut her plasma bonds and send Mandarin flying to the nearest wall! In moments, both were facing each other outside of her cell._

"_If the Hyperforce hated me," she began, "then I consider their hatred to be worth more than your so-called friendship. I made a promise to return to them, to always protect them and never betray them. And by the power of light, nothing will keep me from fulfilling it. Not you, not Skeleton King, not even the deepest influence of darkness!"_

"_An inspiring speech," the injured Mandarin growled with a twisted smile. "I'm almost_…_touched. Fortunately, such moments pass quickly. Formless minions, destroy her!"_

_She glanced around as about a dozen of the Formless surrounded her. She gave them only a smirk as they closed in on her. Then, with a great leap, she allowed three of them to splatter into each other! She landed outside of the circle and ran underneath the legs of another Formless, tripping it!_

_Never once stopping or looking back, she galloped on all fours and counterattacked the Formless waiting for her down the hall. She managed to defeat five of them before she ran into a roadblock. She stopped short at the sight of many Formless blocking her path ahead, and behind them was a wall of rock._

_An idea forming in her head, she revealed her weapons: a pair of turquoise metallic whips fashioned in braids. Putting the two ends of the whips together, she activated her jetpack and hovered in mid-air. She then began to spin her arms like she was playing with a jump rope._

"_**Invisibubble**!" she shouted._

_The Formless stared in surprise as she appeared to have vanished. They looked at each other, confused, before something crashed right through them and smashed through the wall of the Citadel of Bone! The vacuum of outer space removed the remaining Formless there and ripped their frail bodies into ooze._

_But Hayley remained safe as she continued to fly though the cosmos._

---------

"So that's how you escaped," Chiro realized. "That comet we saw. It was you."

"Yes," Hayley answered. "When I entered the planet's atmosphere, I no longer needed my jetpack. I simply let my inertia and gravity do the rest. Some of the Formless had followed me, but I took care of them. As for Mandarin, I've had no more encounters with him."

"There's one thing I still don't understand, Hayley. Did I really say that in your vision? About a light guiding you that never goes out?"

"Word for word. Why do you ask, Chiro?"

"I had a dream last night. I don't remember what the dream was, but I do remember saying those exact same words."

"Really?"

Chiro nodded, and Hayley paused. She seemed deep in thought, but she finally gave him a shrug and said, "I wish I could explain it. This power that freed me – I call it 'the light of my heart' – is new to me. I don't understand where it came or how I got it. I'm not even sure how to use it. All I do know is, through you and the others, that light helped me break through the darkness."

He wanted to keep hearing the sweet sound of her voice and to learn more about her, but he already felt his mind slipping into slumber. This she noticed immediately, and she responded by gently stroking his head.

The cool touch of her monkey fingers combing through his sweat-soaked hair was a soothing feeling, and he couldn't help but feel reassured by it. He looked into her pink eyes and knew, somehow, that he could trust her with his life. And he would have to.

"You'd better get some sleep," she whispered. "You should close your mind so Mandarin won't find us. But don't worry. The others will find us. I'm sure of it. And I'll be here, protecting you. Even if it's to the last of my strength."

If she had said anything further, Chiro didn't hear it.

* * *

So Chiro is safe under Hayley's protection. Of course, with both Mandarin looking for her and her energies running short, no one knows how long that will last. Oh dear, Monkey Team, hurry up and find them in Chapter Six: Brotherly Love! 

_In response to Chapter Four's reviews_…

**Crystal Persian**: LOL. I love your reaction. I find myself reading your review over and over just to imagine what it would sound like if you said it aloud! I'm glad you're still enjoying this, though.

**4Evermonkeyfan**: Glad you noticed that it was an act of rescue that took place. I had trouble spelling out that event in particular without making it too obvious. I'm still not completely sure if I pulled that off quite right, but…oh well.


	6. Brotherly Love

Disclaimer: I don't own SRMTHFG or any of its characters, just my character and this plot.

* * *

**Chapter Six: Brotherly Love**

Nova and Otto had made very little progress by the time the other Monkeys regrouped with them. Antauri took one look down the dangerously steep cliff and guessed how they had lost contact with Chiro.

Sprx immediately activated his communicator. "Kid, do you read me?"

"Forget it," an exasperated Nova told him. "We already tried."

"I hope Chiro's not hurt," Otto whimpered, looking down the cliff with Antauri. "I knew I shoulda built a jetpack for him…"

"Hmm…" Antauri said thoughtfully before tuning out the rest of the world around him. Using only the Power Primate, he searched the area all around him for miles. Besides the four Monkeys standing by him, he felt the presence of three other individuals. One he quickly identified as Mandarin, continuing a search of his own for Chiro and Hayley at the bottom of the cliff. But the other two…

"Chiro is blocking my mind probe," he finally said, slightly surprised, as he came back to the others. "Which means that he IS alive…but that is all I know."

"Why would he deliberately withhold his exact location from you?" a confused Gibson asked. "That defies any logical reasoning."

The Black Monkey regarded them all. "I am not certain, Gibson. However, I have been sensing Hayley doing the exact same thing ever since we found the crash site. We must continue our search with the utmost of haste. As long as Chiro and Hayley are alive, we will find them."

He then took to the air with the others following him and began down the cliff.

---------

Almost as if her circumstances hadn't changed, Hayley kept a constant vigil at the cave entrance, keeping her mind closed and her eyes opened, watching for any signs of friend or foe.

But her circumstances had changed. For behind her, still lost in a dreamless sleep, was apparently her new leader Chiro.

She knew that he was by far younger than even her, and that alone was what didn't make it feel strange to be protecting him like a mother bear protecting her cubs. But she also knew that her own raw, untapped power was nothing compared to his. She knew that the moment she first saw his eyes in her vision. That made her feel like a baby sister even to him, and that was a role she was used to playing.

After all, she saw herself in that way to the Robot Monkeys before.

_No_, she told herself. _Stepsister was the more appropriate word._

In her mind, it always was and always should be. Sure, she didn't seem different than the others on the outside apart from her color, but their differences were inside. She felt different, and she wanted to be treated different.

In spite of all that, she knew that they were all still essentially as one. She had made a promise to protect the Hyperforce, and she intended to keep that promise. And now, not only did that promise not apply to Mandarin because he had disowned them, but that promise applied to Chiro because he had accepted them.

She strayed from these thoughts when she felt a power of darkness nearby. Sensing something amiss, she carefully looked down the cliffside. She found Mandarin floating along the ravine floor about 100 feet below her and passing by the cave entrance, apparently without seeing her.

Hayley glanced back at Chiro. "He's not awake yet," she whispered to herself. "I will do what I must."

She slowly and quietly crawled out of the cave. She cautiously watched every move that Mandarin made as she slowly descended the cliff. She leapt silently behind him from one side of the ravine to the other, and judging by his hesitation, she wondered if he had heard her takeoff.

Finally, just as he started to move on, she jumped in from above and smashed on top of him, kicking him into the dirt with a karate yell!

He grunted and started to pick himself up to throw off his attacker, but she was too quick. She leapt off and landed in front of him, facing him and staring him down as he dusted himself off.

"I think that's far enough," she told him.

"Finally, my first prize," he happily replied with his evil grin. "You dealt with the Formless beautifully, exactly as I anticipated. Now, let's see how you fare against a greater opponent."

"You shall not pass by me."

"And what happens if I do?"

"You will have to destroy me to find that out."

"Then…so be it!"

They both leapt at each other with loud screeches and clashed at each other, and immediately, they both knew that their opponent was going to be tougher than they first thought.

---------

Inside the cave above them, Chiro slowly awoke to a slight noise and easily sat up. The wound on his head had closed, but it still stung a little. He felt a slight dizzy spell as he got to his feet, but it passed quickly when he realized that his hostess was no longer with him.

"Hayley?" he quietly asked.

Another monkey screech was his only answer. Immediately recognizing it as a battle cry, he carefully ran to the cave mouth and peeked out in time to see Hayley revealing her whips and Mandarin activating his sword.

She tried to grab his weapon-bearing hand with her tail, but he made a nimble dodge and jabbed his sword for her shoulder! With only a split-second to react, she was able to lean to one side and allow the sword to pierce through the rock behind her. Knowing that he was momentarily pinned, she took the opportunity to kick him away from her.

Grunting, Mandarin floated into his upright position and glared at her. "How is it that you were able to elude my mind probe in such close proximity?" he snarled at her.

With a half-grin, Hayley answered, "Let's just say that Antauri took the liberty of teaching me some…special techniques."

He scoffed at her. "Very resourceful, but ultimately futile. You're coming back with me, conscious or not, and Skeleton King will make you a fighting force to be reckoned with. The choice is yours, Hayley Cometra: be his willing servant or be his mindless slave."

"One thing wrong with those options, Mandarin: there is no difference!"

They both exchanged snarls, and the battle resumed.

"**Halo Lasso**!" she screeched, twirling her whips high above her head and throwing her arms forward. The whips wrapped around Mandarin, pinning his arms to his sides. She then pulled him close to her.

"I hope you like to dance, Mandarin, 'cause I'm gonna take you out for quite a spin!" she punned, beginning to spin herself and Mandarin until they both became of blur of bright blue and orange. Mandarin groaned as they spun faster, and Chiro nearly became dizzy trying to following along with them.

Then, like a rock in a slingshot, she released him just moments before she stopped spinning. She and Chiro watched as Mandarin flew toward one of the ravine walls.

But, to both of their surprise, Mandarin quickly straightened himself and easily landed on his feet! "Dance your way out of this. **Monkey Mind Scream**!"

She gasped as she tried to escape from the powerful sound wave, but everywhere she went, he followed her. It didn't take her long to be cornered as the attack struck her head on!

The resulting cloud of dust and smoke had temporarily stifled and blinded Chiro, but he did his best to keep himself from being heard. He slowly waved his hand in front of his face as the dust began to clear. The sight he saw next shocked him: Hayley was laying on the ground, damaged and worn out, with Mandarin hovering over her.

"Did you really think you could overpower me, you poor, naïve monkey?" he asked with an evil laugh. "The battle is over. You lose. Now tell me where the boy is."

"Boy?" she grunted painfully. "I don't know what you're t—"

His powerful paw suddenly interrupted her, clamping at her throat and choking her! Mandarin lifted her off the ground and squeezed his claws around her neck, intensifying her pain! She made a pitiful squeak as the force made her lose her voice. She tried to pry his hand off with hers, but his grasp was far too tight even if she wasn't weakened.

"Spare me your selflessness!" he scowled. "The stench of human betrays you. Now where is he hiding?"

Hayley strained away at his grasp, desperately struggling to break free.

"Right here, Mandarin! **Chiro Spearo**!"

The evil Monkey barely had the time to register the statement before the electric attack separated him from Hayley! She landed harshly on the rocky floor as Chiro came between them, kicking Mandarin back several meters. Chiro then looked at her and cradled her head in his hands.

"Hayley?"

His only answer from her was soft and painful whine. Her eyes were closed in fatigue.

"Well, well, well, my hairless monkey," Mandarin greeted, compelling Chiro to see him approaching. "It appears we meet again."

"Get away from her," Chiro threatened him, his voice growling with the strength of the Power Primate.

"What is this?" Mandarin asked, surprised but calm. "Concern? For a Monkey you don't even know?"

"I may not know her, but unlike you, I don't abandon my sister!"

With those words, the two powerful opponents began battle.

Hayley was silently bewildered upon hearing the word Chiro chose. Not baby sister. Not stepsister. Simply…sister. Why?

She tried to get to her feet, to help him and protect him, but she didn't get her head even one inch off the ground before her body gave way to gravity's pull. There was almost nothing left in her now.

Her head was facing away from the two competitors, so she was unable to see the battle, but she knew that it was intense. She sensed when Chiro had the advantage on several occasions, but she also felt when Mandarin took that advantage away. It was virtually a stalemate.

She had lost all sense of time, so she didn't know if it was seconds or minutes later before Chiro was knocked back to her side! Not nearly as weakened as she, Chiro took Hayley's body in his arms and held her chest to his, silently vowing to protect her as she protected him.

"So much for the power of light," Mandarin mocked them both.

Hayley moaned lightly, slowly placing the ends of her whips together.

The sound of distant engines surprised all three of them. Mandarin turned around, and Chiro looked up.

Apparently, the two battles Mandarin had with Hayley and Chiro had attracted the attention of the remaining Hyperforce, and now they were flying for them at top speed!

"Still think this is your lucky day, Mandarin?" Chiro grinned.

"Don't press your luck, boy," Mandarin warned him. "This is far from over." Levitating off the ground, he floated high above Chiro's head and slashed at the ravine wall with his sword, creating an avalanche!

"Chiro!" Antauri called out.

The Robot Monkeys were still too far to help them.

Mandarin laughed and made his escape.

In his fear, Chiro could only stand and stare.

Hayley finally opened her eyes and saw the massive boulders falling straight for them! With a painful groan, she slowly whispered, "I have…no choice…"

Not without a great deal of effort, she reactivated her jetpack, sending Chiro hovering a few inches off the ground. Then, with all the physical strength she could muster, she began twirling her whips over Chiro's head and shouted, "**Invisibubble**!"

They both seemed to disappear just as the rocks crashed down on where they were!

"Hayley!" Otto screamed.

"The Invisibubble won't stabilize for long under such intense mass!" Gibson shouted as they all dived for the huge rock pile. Antauri used his telekinesis to remove several boulders while Sprx and Nova tossed more overhead by hand. Gibson and Otto used their weapons to reduce the bigger boulders into smaller ones.

Finally, they heard a familiar voice from inside, saying, "Stand back, team. **Thunder Punch**!"

The electric attack sent many boulders flying, and Gibson had to shove Otto to one side to save him from getting crushed by one! All five watched in apprehension (yes, even Antauri clearly showed worry) as Chiro slowly stepped out through the cloud of dust.

His bright blue eyes were fixed on the Robot Monkey in his arms, depowered, battered, and motionless.

He then looked at the others, his face changing from worry to determination. "We've got to get her back to the Robot now!"

---------

Gibson and Otto had never worked together so well as when they did to save Hayley once again. Unlike the usual circumstances, the two didn't confuse each other with intelligent words and baffling actions; they simply cooperated in serious silence.

Nova and Sprx tried to lend a hand, but the only help they were able to provide were a few gestures of encouragement. So instead of assisting Gibson and Otto, the pair worked together to clean and dress the wound on Chiro's head.

Chiro and Antauri were the only ones who spoke since the return to the Robot, but Chiro did most of the talking as he repeated to them what Hayley had told him.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Gibson's analyses and Otto's repairs were to their satisfaction.

The only thing left to do to find out if she survived was to reactivate her.

But Otto couldn't bring himself to do it for fear of the guilt he'd feel if they failed. So it was Gibson who did the honors.

The plug-in tool that inserted into the back of her head beeped to life as it began its work. Everyone watched anxiously, waiting for something…anything.

"Come on, Hayley," Otto whined softly. "Ya gotta be all right."

But after waiting for over thirty seconds, Hayley remained motionless.

"No…" Nova whispered, and before she realized it, the proud warrior found herself in the waiting embrace of Sprx's arms.

"She risked her life to save mine," Chiro realized, even though he knew that wouldn't be enough to reassure anyone.

"All of those tedious endeavors…" Gibson muttered to himself. "We were too late."

Only Antauri looked at Hayley and knew what the others didn't.

"This isn't happening…" Otto whimpered, looking away from the table where Hayley was laying. "It can't be happening… It can't…"

Then, a gentle voice answered, "You're right, it's not."

"Huh?" all except Antauri asked as one.

Just as Otto began to turn toward the table again, a turquoise blur jumped him with a loud but sweet giggle and sent him to the floor, tickling him badly!

"Whoa, and I thought Otto's tackles were bad," Chiro whispered, and no one else heard him.

"H-h-hayley?" Otto asked, half screaming and half laughing. "Y-you're alive!"

"Naturally," she giggled, stopping her tickles. "You don't get rid of a prize like me that easily!"

"I thought I told ya never to scare me like that again!"

That only made her laugh even more. "I had you guys going for a minute there, didn't I?"

"Not all of us," Antauri simply stated with only a hint of a wry grin.

"Aw, Antauri," Hayley pouted. "I see you haven't changed, Master Killjoy."

"Kinda gives you a sense of security, doesn't it, Hayley?" Sprx laughed.

Hayley looked in the Red Monkey's direction and was about to reply when she noticed that he still held Nova in his arms. Instead, she grinned at the pair. "Well, when did THIS happen?"

"Huh?" Nova asked, looking at Sprx. Then, realizing what she was doing, the Yellow Monkey quickly shoved Sprx to the floor! "Hmph!"

"It must have been terribly agonizing for you, enduring Skeleton King's torments for such a long period of time," Gibson said to Hayley.

"You have no idea…Gibz."

Otto, Sprx, and Nova began to snicker at the familiar nickname. Chiro smiled, trying to keep his laugh in, but Gibson stared at her indignantly.

"Hayley Cometra…"

She started to giggle, but as she did, everyone noticed that it was quickly turning into a happy moan. Then, much to their surprise and shock, she let out an intense, "I'M FREE!"

Every one of the others flinched at the shrill sound. It took everyone a while (Chiro the longest) to recover from the ear splitting screech, and when they did, they looked as one to Hayley.

"Catch me if you can!" she exclaimed before dashing to one side on all fours.

One look at her innocent bliss, and Otto and Nova lost themselves to it; they instantly ran to catch up with her. Sprx and Chiro didn't want to feel left out, so they too joined in the fun even though Chiro was still rubbing his ears. The ever-logical Gibson at first ignored the game and began to lecture Hayley for referring to him by the unkindly nickname, but a monkey pile from the others cut him off and quickly had him involved in the chase.

Only when Hayley accidentally rammed into Antauri did everyone come to a screeching halt!

The pink eyes of the youngest Robot Monkey looked up into the deep yellow eyes of the oldest, and she suddenly felt the need to apologize but was unable to find the words.

Everyone else looked on, unsure of how he was going to react.

Antauri made a subtle noise, soft enough to make everyone wonder if it was a chuckle or a cough.

Finally, after nearly a minute of silence, the Black Monkey asked, "I suppose that this physical contact with me would suggest that I am, as you call…'it'?"

Hayley blinked, barely believing what he just said.

"Because if it is, Monkey Team, then you'd better start running."

Every tense muscle relaxed at Antauri's statement, but only for a moment.

Hayley scrambled out of Antauri's physical reach and nearly tripped over Nova! The others were quick out the door. Antauri began after them, deliberately restraining himself from bolting into full speed to let them get a head start.

The reunion – consisting of some blissful playing, a lot of story sharing, a little bonding, a celebration dinner, a food fight, and seven sonic showers – lasted well into the night.

* * *

At last, the Hyperforce found Hayley, and it's a happy reunion! But that's not quite all, folks. Chapter Seven: Midnight in Shuggazoom will be the end of the beginning.

_In response to Chapter Five's reviews_…

**Crystal Persian**: This review is even funnier to me than your last one! I'm very happy to notice that you're keeping up with this closely. Thanks!

**4Evermonkeyfan**: I was wondering when someone would post me with a theory. And that's a very interesting theory, too. Unfortunately, that's a fanfic for another day. But thanks for reviewing!

**love-writer**: Thanks for reviewing. Glad you're enjoying this.


	7. Midnight in Shuggazoom

Disclaimer: I don't own SRMTHFG or any of its characters, just my character and this plot.

* * *

**Chapter Seven: Midnight in Shuggazoom**

The faint echo of Shuggazoom City's nightlife slowly died away as house after house was put to bed. The breath of a slightly cool breeze from the north brought a soothing touch. The shades of blue and purple had long disappeared over the western horizon, and thousands upon thousands of stars twinkled brilliantly like diamond fragments littering the floor of a mine.

Hayley lay peacefully with her stomach on the Super Robot's shoulder, her right leg and tail draping over the edge, and her left elbow resting on the metal plating with her chin in that hand. She smiled as she stared into the night sky, drinking it all in. This was her favorite pastime, even as a native monkey.

The nearby hatch opened, and she turned to see Antauri and Otto approaching her.

"I thought we might find you here," Antauri stated.

"I got worried when I went into your quarters and found them empty," Otto added.

"Your concern is appreciated," she replied.

"At this hour, Hayley, I would expect you to be catching up on much-needed sleep," Antauri gently told her.

"Old habits are hard to break," she sighed sadly. "Even sleep provided no escape in the Citadel of Bone. There was nothing for me there but nightmares. Waking nightmares or sleeping nightmares, there was no difference. Endless nightmares. I eventually got to the point when I feared that if I ever closed my eyes again, I would never open them."

The two male monkeys stared back at her. Then, they both approached her: first Antauri hovering behind her head, then Otto as he sat at her feet.

Otto broke the silence with some small talk. "So, uh…find any new constellations?"

Hayley giggled. "Dozens. The stars have changed since I last sat here."

She took a deep breath and released it just as slowly, and as she exhaled, she somehow felt a heavy burden being lifted off her shoulders. Her head began to droop.

"What did ya find?" Otto asked, oblivious to her experience.

"I'm sorry?" she said softly, trying to pay attention.

"Constellations. What did ya find?"

"Oh, w-well…" Her voice slowly began trailing off, barely able to hold back a yawn, as she pointed with her free hand. "I found a rabbit…here. See the fluffy tail? And behind…behind its ear, see that curve? There's a scythe right there. And over in the other direction…"

She never finished her sentence. When Otto turned to look, the sight he saw both startled and pleased him.

Antauri, who was now sitting on the metal itself, had Hayley's head resting in his lap. Her right arm swung a little over the edge of the Robot, obviously due to the recent reaction to gravity. Her eyes were shut, but unlike the fears she had just described, every feature of her face was relaxed with perfect serenity.

"You did that?" Otto softly inquired Antauri.

"I had to," he quietly replied. "Under any other circumstances, I would have considered such an act to be unnatural. But we have much to do in the future, and Hayley needs more time to recover than she is willing to admit."

Already getting to his feet, the Green Monkey offered, "I'll carry her back in."

But the second-in-command shook his head. "No, Otto. You might awaken her, as could I if I tried. Go back into the Robot and get some sleep. I'll stay with her through the night. See you in the morning."

Knowing that Antauri's decision was final, Otto still felt uncertain as he turned for the entrance. He looked back only once and, seeing the gentle peace on the young female at last, smiled in reassurance before slowly closing the hatch behind him.

Now alone with her, Antauri closed his eyes in meditation and raised a hand. He used his telekinesis to carefully lift Hayley's draping limbs and place them in a position more comfortable for sleep. He foresaw the shock she would experience upon waking up in the morning, for Hayley knew very well that Antauri was not one to be touched for just any reason.

Even after all this time of physical separation, he still remembered why she had emotionally distanced herself from the others in the past. He didn't want to tell them for fear of breaking their hearts, but he had sensed her reasoning: they were created together, and she was created alone; they were more robot than monkey, and she was more monkey than robot. It pained him to feel that she considered herself an outsider – a black lamb amongst white sheep – because of how she came to be one of them.

He was certain that she would listen and understand the next time he would tell her that it was not what you are but who you are that matters.

But at the moment, as she lay sleeping peacefully with her head in his lap, he was content with the simple fact that she was at last safe and sound.

"There's a lot questions still to be answered…for all of us," Antauri said gently. "But, for now, welcome home and dream well…my sister."

* * *

Whew! Finally, it's all done. Hope you enjoyed it! There may be more stories to come later, depending on your reviews! So tell me, everyone, what did you think? Favorite parts? Not-so-favorite parts? Ideas? Suggestions? Constructive criticisms? Please review! 

_In response to Chapter Six's reviews_…

**4Evermonkeyfan**: As I stated in my profile, I grow older but I doubt that I grow up. That's part of the reason why I write fanfics in the first place. There's nothing wrong with you liking this kind of stuff, especially if you're the same way. Anyway, glad you liked this, and I hope this chapter wraps up your expectations for a "pilot episode" fanfic.

**Crystal Persian**: Oh my goodness! Once again, you have topped your previous review with this one. Thanks for the encouragement. I hope you're as happy with this conclusion as you were with the rest of the story.

**love-writer**: Whoa, whoa, whoa, take a deep breath! I didn't mean for the last chapter to be so humorous. In fact, except for the ending, it was supposed fairly serious. But thanks for reviewing, and I hope the end of this fanfic was just as good for you.


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